Sunday, 16 March 2014

The second I saw these Gorman pineapple print trousers I knew I had to get my hands on them. I did wonder if I'd wear them enough, however I've worn them with other prints, stripes, plain tees and I even wear them to the office - probably not appropriate but I wear ice cream print shirts so perhaps it's not unexpected of me. Anyway, I've certainly had my money's worth. They're currently half price so get yourself a pair.

Thursday, 13 March 2014

I started a few, for want of a better world 'resolutions' this year. Nothing too fancy - drink more water, no chocolate before 12noon, 2 chocolate free days a week (yes, I love chocolate!!), eat lunch every day (I used to skip lunch most days and then binge on whole bars of chocolate in the afternoon). These might sound easy but I was wanting something achievable so I'd stick to it. So far so good. For lunch I've been taking salads from home and this one has become a firm favourite. Apologies for the poor quality photo, it's from my phone.1 butternut pumpkin, cubedOlive oilMixed dried herbs (oregano, thyme and rosemary)1 teaspoon PaprikaSalt1 cup of quinoa1 lemonA handful of coriander, chopped1 head of broccoli, chopped into segments1/3 of a cup of pine nuts, toasted12 cherry tomatoes, halvedPreheat the oven to 190ºC. Place the pumpkin on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil, dried herbs, salt and paprika. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and soft.While the pumpkin is roasting, make the quinoa. Add quinoa to 2 cups of boiling water, the juice of one lemon, some dried herbs and salt and bring to the boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add coriander and broccoli and cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer quinoa to a serving bowl, stir through the pumpkin, pine nuts and cherry tomatoes. Squeeze on a little extra lemon and serve.

Friday, 28 February 2014

Well I have had a week like no other but have somehow kept my head above water. Thank God it's the weekend - I'm catching up with old friends, lunching with mum and shopping for a week away next week. Wearing this out tonight for dinner.

Wednesday, 19 February 2014

My handbag contents is pretty boring - sunglasses, keys, iPhone, make-up bag so I didn't think a 'what's in my bag?' would have been any fun so thought I'd share a what's in my make-up bag. This is my day-to-day make-up bag that I use on work mornings and keep in my handbag for any random touch-ups.

Wednesday, 12 February 2014

This fun ice cream print shirt has been on serious rotation all summer. Probably not entirely work appropriate but very me so I wear it into the office anyway. I discovered it on Sheinside, a very new to me website that I wasn't sure to trust given the too good to be true prices (this shirt was $23 less 15% discount for signing up to the website). Yes my order took over a month to get to me from China, and the quality isn't fabulous, but for fun cheap fashion I'll shop from them again.

Monday, 10 February 2014

I've started a few, for want of a better word 'resolutions' this year. Nothing too fancy - drink more water, no chocolate before 12noon, two chocolate free days a week, eat lunch every day (I used to skip lunch most days and then binge on whole bars of chocolate in the afternoon). These might sound easy but I wanted something achievable so I'd stick to it. So far so good. For lunch I've been taking salads from home and this quinoa salad has become a firm favourite.

I've actually been eating a lot of quinoa, but find if I don't cook it with lemon, herbs and salt it can taste like polystyrene. Adding these ingredients at the beginning with the water makes for a much tastier quinoa without adding a noticeable flavour to the rest of your dish as it just seems to absorb.

1 bunch baby beetroots, trimmed and quarteredOlive oilSea salt1 cup quinoa1 lemonDried herbs (I used parsley and oregano) 3 tablespoons cup olive oil3 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice2 teaspoons soy sauce1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar1 tablespoon honey1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed3 big handfuls of baby spinach leavesSea salt and ground pepper, to taste1 fresh orange, peeled, trimmed, cut into bite sized piecesPreheat the oven to 190ºC.Place beetroot on baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Bake for 30 minutes. While the beetroot is roasting, make the Quinoa. Add quinoa to 2 cups of boiling water, the juice of one lemon, some dried herbs and salt and bring to the boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove the beetroot from the oven and set aside to cool. To make the dressing, combine olive oil, orange juice, soy sauce, vinegar, and honey in a glass and whisk. Set aside.In a mixing bowl combine the warm, cooked quinoa, chickpeas and baby spinach leaves. Pour in the salad dressing and toss lightly. Season with sea salt and pepper. Gently add the beetroot and fresh orange pieces. Don't over mix or your salad will go red.

Thursday, 6 February 2014

This is more like a confession but I am OBSESSED with youtube!! What started as me looking for online reviews on hair curling wands a year or so ago has grown to a full on addiction to the lives of 'youtube beauty gurus' and sadly sometimes their boyfriends (Jim Chapman). I started watching Tanya Burr as I couldn't believe how she could transform her face with make-up. Don't get me wrong she is a beautiful young 20-something but with some eye make-up and careful conturing she looks like a sexy vamp. To be honest, I am more fascinated at the amount of product these fresh faced young women are putting on their faces and how much older they appear than I am about learning how to apply liquid eyeliner but I do pick up some great tips and beauty recommendations. My recent favourites are Vivianna Does Makeup and Essie Button and both of these girls have led to my recent purchases of Alpha-H Liquid Gold (A-Mazing!!), Hourglass Arch Brown Sculpting Pencil ($48 but is the perfect powder/wax consistency, I swear) and Dior Creme de Rose lip balm. Ok, so at $30 (for lip balm!!!) I probably didn't need this but the packaging is so darn cute and my initials are CD...yep, this YouTube thing is not good. Prior to this I've changed foundation to Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua (thanks Fleur De Force), bought a Clarisonic Mia, Shu Uemura eyelash curlers, Bumble & Bumble shampoo and conditioner, Oribe Texturising Spray and the list goes on. Seeing how their reviews can obviously influence a 30-something women, it's no surprise that these young ladies are doing this 'Beauty Guru' business full time, turning a hobby into a career and raking in the cash. Check out their youtube videos and try not be influenced, I dare you. I'm off to go see what the SacconeJoly's got up to yesterday. That is a story for another day...

Monday, 3 February 2014

While I was recovering from my surgery last week, and getting really sick of tea and toast, my gorgeous mother made me this delicious banana and raspberry bread as an alternative for when I needed a little something extra. Although I didn't bake it myself, it was too nice not to share the recipe.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a loaf tin and line the base and 2 longest sides with baking paper. Combine the banana and sugar in a large bowl. Stir in the buttermilk, eggs and oil. Add flour, macadamia nuts and store until combined. Gently fold in the raspberries and whit choc chips. Pour into prepared tin, smooth the top and bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the top comes out clean. Stand in the pan for 5 mins before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar.

Friday, 31 January 2014

Hello lovelies, or anyone that is still reading since I haven't done a post in over 2 months!! Apologies but I needed a little break from taking my outfit photos, from taking photos of my food before I eat it, from life in general really. I had a minor health scare (all good now) and my father is very ill which has and continues to knock me for six. So I just spent some time close to home doing not too much at all. I don't think I've really spoken of my father's illness as I try to keep it light on here but he has dementia and has no idea who I am anymore. At 63 he's far too young and the sadness of seeing him vanish into dementia has been heartbreaking for me and my family. The loss of love has been unbearable, I was his favourite person, and he mine, we were extremely close and I miss him everyday. I'm often scared I can't remember what he used to be like - his laugh, the sound of his voice, his smell, so I've adored spending time with mum, drinking wine, cooking food I don't photograph (although there has been the odd instagram snap...I can't help myself), crying, laughing and talking about how he used to be. Anyway, I'm back and I promise to post more regularly.

So anyways, above is a photo I used to enter the recent Red Magazine Denim Challenge with the hope to win two pairs of jeans for me and a friend at Selfridges Denim Studio. Was my first foray into boyfriend jeans - wasn't sure how they'd go with my short legs - but my friend pushed me into the purchase and at $39 on sale at Zara I wasn't too concerned if they didn't see light of day.